Introduction

We tend to think of adolescence as the teenage years but the process of change from childhood to adulthood generally starts before and continues beyond this time. The onset of puberty is an obvious sign that a child has entered adolescence particularly when they experience a period of rapid growth and their appearance becomes more adult like. However, the influence of social and cultural factors must not be underestimated in their power to affect the process and timing of puberty; and also in shaping and determining the behaviours associated with adolescence.

Puberty

By the time that a child reaches puberty they are very experienced at growing and accept the process of getting physically bigger and generally more coordinated and skillful. Unfortunately, it is little preparation for the pace of change encountered through puberty when 8-9cm of growth in a year is possible. Such rapid growth often leads to a deterioration in gross motor coordination as the brain adjusts to the new body and clumsiness is the result. At the end of puberty the body has reached it's adult size and shape and this determines how other age groups perceive and interact with them. For example, society tends to accept the movement of groups of children whilst viewing groups of youths as threatening.

Puberty is of course associated with the maturing of the sexual reproductive organs and the visible signs that they have become functional. This provides two main challenges for the adolescent. The first challenge is in understanding, exploring and coping with these changes to their body and the new feelings and sensations they encounter. The second challenge is in understanding, exploring and coping with how others perceive them as sexually attractive. Girls in particular may become very aware of been noticed by males of all ages. There is further information on puberty in the page about sexual development.

Changing roles

Childhood is or should be a time of care-free dependence on parents who provide for all their needs. Adulthood is about autonomy and self-sufficiency. Adolescence is the transitional period between the two. Achieving these adult goals requires behavioural changes not only for the adolescent but also for their parents and their wider adult influences such as teachers. The right to greater freedom and self-determination i.e. more say in what they do and where they go is matched by increased responsibilities. The adolescent will be expected to take on household chores, making their own bed, taking responsibility for homework and getting ready for school, college or work. Older adolescents who begin work may be expected to become more financially independent particularly in terms of buying clothing and meeting the cost of their social activities. Some may be asked to make a small contribution to the household budget. Adolescents can feel that these additional responsibilities are unfair and unreasonable.

Similarly, as the individual matures from child to adulthood society will offer new freedoms and rights. These will go hand in hand with increased responsibilities including making a positive contribution to society as well as greater penalties for when they do not. The main way a person can contribute to society is by working and of course this provides the route to financial independence as well.

The adolescent has a bewildering choice of occupations to chose from. Some require highly specialised qualifications and are accessible only by high academic achievement. Others require particular talents or personality traits to be achieveable. Adolescence is therefore a period where the individual is being expected to make a lot of choices that may have life long consequences. In order to inform these choices the adolescent needs to develop their sense of identity in order to answer questions like: What am I good at?; What can I achieve?; What sort of person am I?; Am I a good person? and so on.